10 U.S. Code § 808 - Art. 8. Apprehension of deserters

Any civil officer having authority to apprehend offenders under the laws of the United States or of a State, Commonwealth, possession, or the District of Columbia may summarily apprehend a deserter from the armed forces and deliver him into the custody of those forces.

The word “may” is substituted for the words “It shall be lawful for * * * to”. The words “a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession, or the District of Columbia” are substituted for the words “any State, District, Territory, or possession of the United States”. The words “of the United States”, before the words “and deliver”, are omitted as surplusage. The words “those forces” are substituted for the words “the armed forces of the United States”, after the words “custody of”.